Retaining Volunteers

After the Holy Spirit, volunteers are the most valuable asset to your ministry. It often seems like a battle to recruit volunteers, but once you’ve got them, retaining them can provide lasting, sustainable fruits in ministry. Here’s why: Retained volunteers already know the program, the process, and the people. Retained volunteers are trained, even if […]

Small Things with Great Love

My primary goal is to lead others closer to Christ through building Christocentric relationships and loving them as Christ loved us.  I strive to do this with my family, friends, coworkers, and in my ministry.  I’d love to say that this can be seen in the big and small ways of each of my interactions […]

Compound Interest & the Volunteer ROI

Compound interest is a powerful thing. Many Americans place their hopes for retirement in this reality. I shared this powerful concept with some teens in a disciple group recently and the connections that can be made to spiritual discipline are profound. Becoming rich, whether physically or spiritually, takes dedication, consistency, and lots of time. It […]

Share the Vision

Ask any minister and they’ll tell you, “we could never do what we do without our volunteers.” Events, giving talks, leading small groups, being in dramas or skits on retreats… I mean, there’s no way that one minister could dress up as the entire cast from the Hunger Games all by themselves. Volunteers really are […]

7 Steps to Empower Your Team to Give Great Talks

Part of our job in ministry is to equip others to evangelize. One of the ways we can help our volunteers do that is to have them give talks at our youth nights or on our retreats. You have the potential to empower and equip your volunteers to give great talks. This will help them become […]

Volunteer Training, Simplified

The ministry year is in full swing! We’re drinking more coffee than ever and have full voicemail inboxes, but to God be the glory! At this point in the fall semester, you might still be searching for volunteers, or you may be realizing that the ones you have still need some help. Today’s post is to […]

Resolve to Listen Better! – 9 “Action” Tips for Listening Success

Have you ever struggled with what to say when?  Want to have more intentional conversations with teens, parents, friends, or strangers? Pick one or all of the tips to help you have better conversations with those around you. Love a person where they are – but love them even more to not leave them there. […]

Get Out of the Way

Ministry is almost as much preparation and planning as it is getting out of the way and letting God work. We must learn how to get out of the way of what God is trying to do in the lives of the youth and volunteers. I have to allow growth, progress, and His plan to take shape. It’s not my ministry, but His.

The Lying Minister Epidemic

HONESTY Being honest is something we are taught to do from a very young age. There is so much importance in telling the truth and we learn very quickly that people can see through lies. As kids, when we tried to lie, our parents knew it instantly about 99% of the time. This was very […]

8 Steps for a Strong Volunteer Team

This may seem backwards, but you are called to first minister to your volunteers, then to your teens.  Your volunteers may need you to show them how to more effectively minister to your teens, but you must pour into your volunteers to help them learn, grow, multiply, and become disciple makers. 8 STEPS FOR A […]